Amazon will not deny that fraudulent reviews on its platform are a problem. And despite years of reports of fake storage products, listed with fake reviews to cover bogus specs and performance claims, the scams keep popping up.
On Monday, Review Geek listed his purchase of what Amazon listed as a portable 16TB M.2 SSD for $70. The drive, like similar Amazon listings, has received dozens of five-star reviews. However, it turns out that the cheap SSD is a 64GB microSD card on a circuit board with a USB-C connector.
All this despite the drive showing up as 16TB storage in Windows, which Review Geek believes is caused by misleading circuit board firmware.
The listing and box wasn’t even honest about its connectivity, claiming USB 3.0 Micro B to USB 3.1 Type-C. The device is already USB 2.0 based, select Review Geek after testing the product with Chip Genius, an app for checking USB devices. Transfer 1 GB of data with SSD The microSD card reportedly took 20 minutes instead of the expected 1 minute.
Finally, the box’s claims of compatibility with Smart TVs, Android, Windows 7 and Windows 10 remain questionable, and support for “| OS” is impossible because it is nothing.
The good news is that Review Geek found no malware on the device.
The bad news is that this is just one of countless examples that have been reported over the past few years and are still scattered all over Amazon.
Cheap Solid State Drives abound
After reading Review Geek’s story, I searched Amazon for “16TB SSD,” and immediately found options between $70 and $110 in little-known brand names, like Generic, SAJIULAS, and WIOTA, the brand of drive that Review Geek bought. All of them have at least 3.5 stars, and some have hundreds of reviews.
However, reading some of these reviews makes me wonder if we’ve been using the wrong SSD this whole time. A review on one of the lists of ultra-cheap portable SSDs said the product was “a very colorful shot, but thinner” than expected. Another stated that the drive proved “smooth and perfect” for their 6-year-old. One review noted that the SSD “pictures nicely” sounds great in the kitchen, while another five-star review noted its high microphone and video quality.
I’ve even seen one review hint at the true nature of the portable SSD, noting that it’s an “affordable 64GB” option, even though the review lists it as a 16TB SSD.
As noted by Review Geek, scammers edit existing listings (including new images, titles, and descriptions) for a product so that they’re selling an entirely different item. This way, sellers can keep the reviews high, and make the new product appear highly rated. It also explains how portable storage can get five stars for being great to look at while you’re eating dinner.
Whatever you call merger review, reuse review, or audition hijacking, it’s a practice that scammers have used to mislead computer component buyers for years, and one that Amazon has yet to crack.
History repeats itself
Unfortunately, stories of basic microSD cards masquerading as fast, high-capacity portable hard drives have been emerging of late. ZDNet reported a $20 purchase for example in May, and TechRadar discussed the issue in September, noting that some Amazon listings were removed after the article. In August, we reported on a scammer who sold a 30TB Portable SSD at Walmart for $39.
In terms of computer storage in general, there are countless reports of people receiving different products than advertised on Amazon. And it’s not just about SSD storage either. People have reported repeated posts about cheap hard drive devices and USB flash drives.
This Geek story review is a reminder of how careful buyers can be when buying shady cheap tech from websites. Despite reports and subsequent removals of fraudulent storage devices, they keep popping up.
According to Review Geek, the product you purchased disappeared and was promptly replaced by another listing before Review Geek reported the scam to Amazon. It’s unclear if Amazon removed the original ad, or if the seller did so independently before being penalized.
As Review Geek said, it’s like a game of mole for Amazon. Amazon’s review process has led to close scrutiny from customers, the media and the UK’s competition regulator, Competition and Markets Authority. Amazon has appealed to the courts to fight companies and Facebook groups that it claims sell fake reviews. Amazon has been suing for fake reviews since 2015. But it’s still rampant on the site.